Device for use in packaging; package, and method



April 21, 1959 2,882,660"

I DEVICE FOR ,USE IN- PACKAGING, PACKAGE. AND METHOD Filed June 24, 19572 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. I HARVEY R. DENTQN April 21, 1959 H. R.DENTON DEVICE FOR USE IN PACKAGING, PACKAGE. AND METHOD Filed June 24,1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HARVEY R. DENTON ATTORNEYS United DEVICEFOR USE IN PACKAGING; PACKAGE, AND METHOD This invention relates topackaging, generally, and has for one of its objects the provision of adevice for use in packaging groups of elongated fruit or vegetablebodies, such, for example, as bananas, celery, asparagus, etc., wherebypackages of such bodies may be quickly, economically, and safely formedand in which packages the bodies are exposed to the air and for viewing,and will not shift relative to each other in each package so as to causeinjury to the bodies due to abrasion. Another object of the invention isthe provision of an improved package of elongated bodies of fruit orvegetables, such as above specifically mentioned, and others that may besimilar, in which an elastic band holds the bodies together withoutcausing injury to the fruit and vegetable bodies.

111 explanation, the fruit and vegetables such as bananas, asparagus,etc., are bruised fairly easily, and attempts to secure them together byconventional rubber bands or by inelastic bands or ties results ininjury to the fruit or vegetable bodies, particularly along the edges ofthe bands, since the bands tend to cut into the outer surfaces of thebodies along the edges of the bands.

Also, there may be irregularities in the outer surfaces of the bodiesbelow the bands that are objectionably compressed by conventional rubberbands or by bands that are inelastic.

In the present package the elastic band of the package is of cellularformation, which provides a cushion and the pressure exerted at theedges of the band is distributed among the adjoining cells so as tocompletely eliminate any tendency of the band to cut into the fruit orvegetables. Furthermore, the cellular structure enables projections onthe fruit or vegetables to sink into the band so as to preventobjectionable localized pressure on such projections, or againstirregularities in the contour of the outer surfaces of the fruit andvegetable bodies.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a package ofelongated fruit or vegetable bodies in which a group of the fruit andvegetable bodies are held together as a unit within an elastic band,which band is of a structure that will not cause injury to the bodieswhere it yieldably engages the latter due to factors other than theyieldable pressure, such as would occur where solid or perforated rubberbands were used or where moisture absorbent material was used.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an improvedmethod of stretching a rubber band for opening it to insert elongatedfruit and vegetable bodies into the band for forming a package of suchbodies.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description and in thedrawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the device for usein forming the package being used.

Fig. 2 is a reduced end view of the device of Fig. 1 before being used.

atent "ice Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the device of Fig.2.

Fig. 4 illustrates a completed package.

Fig. 5 is a slightly enlarged edge view of a portion of the band that isused in the package.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a device that is slightly different fromthe one shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is an end view of the device of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary, sectional view taken along line 88 ofFig. 7.

In detail, referring to Fig. 1, a horizontal rectangular platform 1 ispreferably provided with a cushion 2 on its upper side, which cushion isflat and is preferably covered with plastic sheet material that isimpervious to water and fruit juices, and that has a smooth uppersurface over which the fruit, such as a group of bananas 3, can readilyhe slid. The cushion prevents any injury to the fruit in sliding thelatter over the same.

The platform 1 is supported by a base that is therebelow, and which basemay include a vertical side wall 4 along one edge of the platform, and ahorizontal base 5 spaced below said platform. Screws 6, bolts or anyother suitable means may be used to secure the base to a table or othersupport therefor.

The platform 1, side wall 4, base 5 and a side wall opposed to the wall4 and along the edge of platform 1 that is opposite to wall 4 may beformed from an integral sheet of metal with the wall 4 being one endmarginal portion of said sheet, and with an extension 7 at the oppositeend of the sheet overlapping the wall 4 along its lower edge.

This extension may be formed with a pair of cars 8 that are in spacedopposed relation to the ends of the wall 4, said ears being spaced fromsaid wall by right angle bends 9 connecting the lower ends of the earswith the upper edges of the extension 7. These ears are preferablyhorizontally elongated and in alignment with each other.

A pair of legs It), preferably in the from of round rods, are formedwith an eye 11 at one of their ends,

and which eyes are positioned between the opposite outermost ends of theears 8 and the wall 4, and a horizontal pivot 12 extends through eacheye 11 and through wall 4 and each ear 8 pivotally supporting said legsfor swinging from horizontal aligned positions extending toward eachother and in which they are supported against the horizontally alignedbends 9, to upwardly extending positions relative to said pivots 12.

The end of each leg 10 opposite to pivot 12 is formed with a footportion 13 extending at right angles to the leg and in direction awayfrom wall 4. Thus each leg 10 and its foot portion 13 forms an L-shapedmember with the foot portions 13 adjacent to each other, but spacedapart, and parallel, when the legs 10 are in alignment.

The endless band that is adapted to be expanded by use of the devicedescribed, is indicated in full line at 14, and in dot-dash lineposition 15 in Fig. 1, in an initial position in which it encircles thepair of foot portions 10, that are indicated in the dot-dash position at16. In a normal operation, the band 14 is considerably larger indiameter than the spacing between the foot members 10 when the latterare closest together, as in position 16 in Fig. 1.

This band is of relatively soft, plastic material that is of cellularstructure as indicated in Fig. 5 hence the band itself is of cushionlike character that is readily compressible, resilient, and that isstretchable so that the band may be readily expanded. The width of theband is preferably approximately from one to two inches and the footmembers 13 are slightly longer so they will 3 extend the full width-ofthe band when the latter encircles the pair thereof.

In operation, the operator arranges a group of the fruit or vegetablebodies 3 in side by side relation on the cushioned upper-"side ofplatform I, holding the-group in one hand 20. These bodies extendlongitudinally toward the center ofthe edge of the platform along theside4.

With any suitable fingers of the other hand 21 the operator positions ahand 14 in encircling relation to the pair of foot members 13, when thelatter are in position 16 and the upper side of the band is then drawnupwardly. This causes the foot members 13 to move upwardly along thedivergently extending arcuate paths of circle thereby stretching theband horizontally and since the upward'force on the band:stretches italso along upwardly extending lines leadiugfrom thefoot members 13tothepoint. of :engagement with-the fingers of hand 21, the :bandisopened-forready insertion of the group of bodies 3 into the expanded band.

jIt-should be noted that in positions16, the footqmembars 13 aresubstantially below the upper surface of the platform 1, and thisdistance is such that when the lower span 22 of the expanded band (Fig.l) is at about the level of the platform the foot members 13 will havemoved apart a suflicient distance to spread the band adequately tofreely receive the group of fruit vor vegetable bodies.

When the group of fruit bodies is slid into the expanded band, theoperator normally releases the band 14 from engagement with the fingersof hand 21 whereupon the band immediately contracts against the bodies 3and continued lateral endwise movement of the bodies 3 after contractionof the band will result in the band being slid off the outer ends of thefoot members 13 and the packaging operation will be completed, and thepackage as-seen in Fig. 4 will be ready for shipment or display.

The cellular character of band 14 as seen in Fig. 5 provides a soft,anti-friction surface having many soft protuberances that distribute thepressure and the cellular character of the band also provides foradequate ventilation to the surface of the fruit or vegetables toprevent sweating of the fruit and objectionable moulding anddeterioration of the fruit below and along the band.

In Figs. 6 to 8 the device for use in stretching the band has ,L shapedmembers that are identical with those shown in Fig. 1, hence the samenumbers will be used for these members as are used in Figs. 1 to 3.

In Fig. '6 a base plate 25 is provided which plate is adapted to bereleasably held on a table or other suitable support by ,a screw or bolt26, or by any other suitable means.

The .plate 25 is formed with a divergently upwardly extending pair ofarms 27, each of which is formed with a clevis 28 at its upper end. Eacheye 11 of each leg It) is disposed between the opposed sides of eachclevis 28 and a horizontal pivot 29 extending between said sidespivotally connects the outer end of each arm with each clevis forswinging said arms upwardly in a common plane.

The base 30 of each clevis (Fig. 8) forms a stop for engagement witheach arm 10 so that the arms of the pair will be horizontally alignedwhen the latter are supported on the bases 30, and when said arms are inthis position the foot members'13 will be in the same position as at 16in Fig. l preparatory to using the device to form a package.

In operation, the operator will hold a group of the elongated fruit orvegetable bodies in one hand without the'assistance of the platform, andupon stretching the band in identically the same manner as described forFig. '1 the group of bodies will be thrust into the expanded band andthe bodies and band contracted therearound will be carried ofi the footmembers 13.

4 the drawings herein are merely illustrative of different forms of theinvention and are not intended to be restrictive thereof.

I claim:

1. A device for use in packaging elongated fruit and vegetable bodiescomprising: a pair of generally L shaped arms each having a leg and afoot portion extending angularly from one end of the leg, and meanssupporting said legs at the ends thereof opposite to the foot portionsthereof in spaced relation for swinging in a common plane aboutgenerally parallel axes at said last mentioned ends, said foot portionsbeing substantially parallel and projecting to corresponding sides ofsaid legs at generally right angles to said plane and said means beingspaced apart a sufiicient distance to enable said arms to swing towardeach other to substantially aligned relation with said foot portionsadjacent to each other for encirclement of the pair of said portions byan endless elastic band for automa'tic stretching of said bandto openposition upon pull mg one side of said band in a direction substantirdlynormal to said'arms when in said aligned relation.

2. A device for use in packaging elongated fruit and vegetable bodiescomprising: a pair of similar arms sub stantially in longitudinalalignment so their inner adiacent ends and their opposite outer endswill be approximately in a line, a pair of horizontal pivots mountingsaid opposite outer ends of said arms for swinging said inner endsthereof in circular paths in a common plane, and projections on saidinner ends of said arms extending to the same sides of said arms andapproximately normal to said plane for insertion of said projectionsinto an endless elastic band, said arms being free for swinging aboutsaid pivots in said common plane to the same side of the line adapted toextend through the said inner and outer ends of said arms whereby anelastic band encircling said projections will be automatically stretchedby such swinging of said arms under a force drawing one side of suchband in a direction substantially tangentially of said circular paths toenable insertion of said bodies into said band for subsequent retractionof said band about said bodies upon release of the force drawing saidone side of said band in said direction.

3. A device for use in packaging elongated fruit and vegetable bodiescomprising: a pair of similar arms substantially in longitudinalalignment so their inner adjacent ends and their opposite outer endswill be approximately in a line, a pair of horizontal pivots mountingsaid opposite outer ends of said arms for swinging said inner endsthereof in circular paths in a common plane, projections on said innerends of said arms extending to the same sides .ofsaid arms andapproximately normal to said plane for insertion of said projectionsinto an endless elastic band, said arms being free for swinging aboutsaid pivots in said common plane to the same side of the line adapted toextend through the said inner and outer ends of said arms whereby anelastic band cncircling said projections will be automatically stretchedby such swinging of said arms under a force drawing one side ofsuch-band in a direction substantially tangentially of said circularpaths to enable insertion of said bodies into said band for subsequentretraction of said band about said bodies upon release of the forcedrawing said one side of said band in said direction, and stop meansrigid :relative to said pivots for supporting said arms in saidlongitudinal alignment but permitting said swinging about said pivots tosaid one side of said line.

*4. A device for use in packaging elongated fruit and vegetable bodiescomprising: a pair of horizontally extending rod-like members insubstantially parallel side by side relation, and means connected withone of the corresponding ends of said members supporting them formovement in a common plane along paths extending divergently from eachother and to one side of a straight line extending through said memberswhereby an elastic It is'to be'understood that the detaileddescription;and (it endlessband enclosingsaid members will .beautomaticallystretched to open the band upon drawing one side of such band to saidone side of such line.

5. A device for use in packaging elongated fruit and vegetable bodiescomprising: a pair of horizontally extending rod-like members insubstantially parallel side by side relation, means connected with oneof the corresponding ends of said members supporting them for movementin a common plane along paths extending divergently from each other andto one side of a straight line extending through said members whereby anelastic endless band enclosing said members will be automaticallystretched to open the band upon drawing one side of such band to saidone side of such line, and a platform at one side of said members andspaced to said one side of such line for slidably supporting such bodiesfor movement longitudinally thereof and into such endless elastic bandwhen the latter is so stretched.

6. A device for use in packaging elongated fruit and vegetable bodiescomprising: a pair of horizontally extending rod-like members insubstantially parallel side by side relation, means connected with oneof the corresponding ends of said members supporting them for movementin a common plane along paths extending divergently from each other andto one side of a straight line extending through said members whereby anelastic endless band enclosing said members Will be automaticallystretched to open the band upon drawing one side of such band to saidone side of such line, said members being positioned in a substantiallyhorizontal plane coincident with such line when at the convergent endsof their paths and said means supporting them for divergent movementupwardly relative to said plane and for downward movement by gravity tosaid plane, and stop means for limiting said downward movement to saidplane.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,829,281 Henley Oct. 27, 1931 2,057,284 Walker Oct. 13, 1936 2,575,703Carruthers Nov. 20, 1951 2,660,529 Bloom Nov. 24, 1953

